Newsday special series

[X2321 133]

Newsday on Sunday started an 8 day special series on Long Island fire departments and how they spend their money. It looks like they put a lot of work and time into it. www.nynewsday.com

[JohnnyOV 2]

Im looking foward to seeing how this report turns out.

[TRUCK6018 50]

It will be interesting to see the public's reaction to this report. It's no secret that Long Island has the biggest and the best. Now the bigger picture: The need.

Example: The portrayed Coram firehouse.

Four poles? One in the bathroom?

Not to mention a "meeting room" that only rivals most catering halls.

Locker rooms and a gym that would make Gold's envious.

Not to mention the bar area (a must for all firehouses).

This isn't a firehouse. It's a country club that happens to house a few firetrucks.

Edited November 14, 2005 by TRUCK6018

[grumpyff 1,159]

Unfortunately, I think there is going to be a some negative critiscisms, most about the amount of taxes. Some people I know out there have the perception, that their FD spends too much on new trucks, firehouses, and partying. I found these two topics on another board,Coram Firehouse, and Vol firemen. Granted it is a NYPDrant, a page where a lot of ranting goes on.

[JohnnyOV 2]

Unfortunately, I think there is going to be a some negative critiscisms, most about the amount of taxes.  Some people I know out there have the perception, that their FD spends too much on new trucks, firehouses, and partying. I found these two topics on another

I totaly agree. This report might be a little biased but we have yet to see. I hope that they touch on all aspects of the service and state all the pros and cons of both the paid and volunteer service. And I also hope that any bias views will not be stated and if they are, not tollerated by any group. And by that I dont mean going to newsday and burning it down, more of stateing to the public that the report did not show just the facts, but her opinion as well.... in a tasteful manor however. Hopefully the reported just gives the facts and not her opinion.

[spin_the_wheel 460]

As a 20+ year member in a Nassau LI Dept. I can tell you that this report was in the works prior to 9-11, with that tragic day Newsday it seems decided to hault the reporting for this article. I guess someone wised up at Newsday and figured it was a bad time to bash the LI fire service...so here it is now. Another point I would like to make is that Newsday has always wanted to be more like Newsweek and Time Magazines then a newspaper, most days the front page is about world events...never about soemthing on the island. Fire coverage for NYC is always put foward in the front pages in the Post or the News, in Newsday a small article on page 32. I myself wrote to Newsday about 14 years ago making a complaint about the coverage of a line of duty death of a senior fire police member in a Dept., he was hit by a car while directing traffic at an alarm. His article was on page 2o something...no picture, just a paragraph or 2. At the same time the front page had a photo and story about an old ku klux klan trophy that was found in some departments trophy case, donated to the dept. for a parade or some other silly thing. The trophy dated back to the early 1900's, and no doubt sat tarnished and dusty for decades before soemone spotted it and made a big deal about it. Newsday ran story after story about this, and the line of duty death got no coverage. This is true, and is only one example of how this paper has overlooked the fire service in Nassau and Suffolk. I am interested in seeing the letters to the editor that will follow...I may even be sending one once I read the whole series. I welcome any LI fire service questions from the members on this board.

[capt36 9]

I read the article in Newsday today. It's no real secret that the Island has the most and prettiest apparatus in New York, right down to their gold-leafed chief's cars. I'm all for public safety and understand that the burden is on the taxpayers. But the money spent on the gyms, personal trainers and of course the bars in the firehouses is not for public safety but to attract new members, yeah right. Give me a break!

[BFD1054 1,552]

Hey grumpyff....Thanks for sharing those links! The Vol. firemen topic was some good reading! Wow, alot of those guys have some nasty words about vollie FD's, which was no suprise! Alot of them are city cops who have not a clue about the fire service, much less the vollie service!

Hey, maybe some departments do mis-spend their monies. I haven't seen much or any of that here in Westchester though. Hell, my firehouse is old and to small with barely enough room for our rigs lol! I have heard in the past about the crazy firehouses out on the Island though. I have heard of ones with hot tubs and what not. I can't speak for them because i have no first-hand knowledge of LI Depts.

[Guest 786XP]

www.newsday.com for those who were not already aware.

This is a very well prepared series of articles on a story which should have been done decades ago.

It is sad to think that some of these Departments are spending more on their new Station than some communities will for a new elementary of middle school (almost 18 million in some cases).

We (Stamford Fire Rescue) recently finished building a very large and very basic fire station for just over 2 million (the land and building were donated to the City). I am having trouble figuring out where the additional 16 million would be needed? Oh right, the tropical bar in the weight room.

Although nothing will change as a result of the Newsday articles, you really have to wonder how much personnel and equipment could be provided in lieu of the custom leather seating and cherry paneled bar.

[TRUCK6018 50]

But the money spent on the gyms, personal trainers ....is not for public safety but to attract new members, yeah right. Give me a break!

←

All BS aside, a fitness program and trainer is actually a NFPA recommendation (NFPA 1583)!

NFPA 1583:

Document Scope:  1.1.1 The requirements in this standard are the minimum requirements of the development, implementation, and management for a health-related fitness program (HRFP). 1.1.2 These requirements are applicable to public, governmental, military, private, and industrial fire department organizations providing rescue, fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials mitigation, special operations, and other emergency services. 1.1.3 This standard is not applicable to industrial fire brigades or to industrial fire departments meeting the requirements of NFPA 600, Standard on Industrial Fire Brigades. Industrial fire brigades or fire departments shall also be permitted to be known as emergency brigades, emergency response teams, fire teams, plant emergency organizations, or mine emergency response teams.

Additionally, under the guideline, a Health and Fitness Coordinator gets appointed and individualized fitness programs get established for members (NFPA 1583, Chapter 5).